Jimmies split doubleheader with Bemidji State after late rally, early deficit

Reese Logsdon gave the Jimmies the kind of timely hit that can steady a season, but Bemidji State’s fast start in the second game made sure University of Jamestown left Ronken Field with only a split. Jamestown won the opener 6-5, then dropped the nightcap 9-7 in a doubleheader played April 8 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a day that stretched 2 hours and 13 minutes in 52-degree weather with an 18 mph wind out of the north-northwest.

Game 1 looked comfortable early, then turned tense. Jamestown built a 5-0 lead after two innings behind a Melvin Maldonado sacrifice fly, a Ben Swennumson RBI double, a two-run double from Matty Morin and an Adrian Warcken sacrifice fly. Bemidji State clawed back anyway, with Matt Filippi launching a two-run home run in the fourth inning and Beau Thoma adding a solo shot in the sixth to pull the Beavers even.

Logsdon answered in the bottom of the sixth with a go-ahead RBI single, and that run stood up the rest of the way. Elias Harris earned the win and improved to 3-1, while Andrew Murphy took the loss for Bemidji State. The opener showed Jamestown’s best traits at once, early punch at the plate and enough poise to win a one-run game after letting a lead slip away.

The second game exposed the other side of the equation. Bemidji State scored seven runs in the first two innings and forced the Jimmies to chase from the start. Beau Thoma fueled the surge with a three-run home run in a four-run fourth inning and finished with two hits, two runs, three RBIs and the homer.

Jamestown did not fold. Matty Morin, Jacob Thomas and Melvin Maldonado each hit home runs, and Thomas later added an RBI double in the ninth to pull the Jimmies within two. The comeback ran out of room, though, and the Beavers held on for the 9-7 win, snapping a four-game losing streak with the split.

The day left Jamestown still searching for consistency in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Jimmies stood at 5-16 in the league and 10-24 overall, while Bemidji State was 4-16 and 7-24. For a team trying to climb, the doubleheader was a sharp reminder of the margin between a good day and a frustrating one: protect an early lead, and Jamestown can win; fall behind early, and even a late burst may not be enough.